Frequently Asked Questions

Check out our great FAQs and Answers for our Low-Cost Solar Lighting below:

What do I do if the solar panel on my garden or patio light looks cloudy/dirty?

Dirt and dust will accumulate on lights over time and if the solar panel becomes blocked it can affect the output of the panel. This can normally be dealt with by wiping the panels clean. The solar panels on small garden lights may also naturally cloud over time, especially when stored in the warehouse for extended periods of time. Lights should still be charged and tested, as in many cases it will not affect the operation of the light. If the light functions properly, cloudiness can sometimes be removed by a thorough cleaning of the panel, by applying a layer of clear lacquer finish, or by applying a layer of clear nail polish directly to the solar panel.

1) How do solar garden lights work?

During daylight hours, solar panels located on the top of each light collect the sun’s energy and stores it within the internal rechargeable battery for use when when night falls. The battery and charging circuitry is internally protected from all harsh weather conditions. At nightfall, the high efficiency LED bulb automatically turns on and is powered by that battery through the night. Installation is as easy as planting the stakes into the ground, and switching the lights on: no electrician, no wires, no electricity bills!

2) How bright are these garden lights?

Many of Silicon Solar’s garden lights use ultra bright LEDs with an output of 10,000-12,000 mcd, which are 3-4 times brighter than times brighter than other solar garden lights with an output of 3000-4000 mcd. See individual product specifications for details on the brightness of each one of our products.

3) Can I place this garden lights anywhere on my property?

Yes, with the one caveat that the solar panel on top of each light must receive the requisite amount of sunlight per day in order to fully charge the battery.

4) My garden light isn’t as bright as when I first received it.

You may simply need to replace the rechargeable batteries in your light, which can be purchased through Silicon Solar or your local store. However, before replacing your batteries, first test your lights by placing them in direct sunlight for a day to see if they are simply are not receiving ample sunlight during the day. Also, take note that lights will generally operate longer hours and more brightly during the summer months than in the winter months. See our “How-To” section for further instruction on how to troubleshoot and repair solar garden lights.

Category How-To Guides

Consider the location of your lights. While solar garden lights can easily be placed anywhere, their one limitation is that they must receive direct sunlight during the day in order to function during the night. If the lights are shaded by trees during the daylight hours, the functionality of the lights will be significantly impaired.

Change the location or angle of the solar panel that charges the garden light. Pay attention to the daily sunlight pattern and avoid any shade as shade is the solar panel’s worst enemy. A few simple adjustments may drastically improve a garden light’s performance.

Wash off the solar panel. Dirt, dust, and other debris can built up on the panel which, similar to shade, will significantly reduce the light’s performance. Particularly after inclement weather, which can spatter dirt and soil onto low lying solar panels, wiping clean the solar panels on each light can restore a garden light to optimal brightness and duration.

Clean the batter housing. Sometimes mother nature can cause buildup or corrosion on the battery or the terminals. Open up the battery casing, check that nothing is blocking the connectors to prevent the battery from charging, and wipe off the terminals.

Replace the batteries. While Silicon Solar’s Ni-Cad batteries up to 1300 cycles, they don’t last forever. Simply replacing the batteries may render your solar garden lights like new.

Replace the light-dependent resistor inside your garden light. The light-dependent resistor is the mechanism that keeps the garden light off during the day and then allows the stored energy to flow from the battery to the LED during the night. If it is malfunctioning, the whole solar circuitry won’t operate as intended to store power during the day and illuminate the LED at night.

Category Learning Guide

Did You Know? Earlier designs of solar-powered garden lights used less efficient solar panels, incandescent bulbs, and batteries that charged much slower. All of Silicon Solar’s lights utilize high efficiency solar cells, LEDs, and Ni-Cad high capacity storage batteries that last up to 1300 cycles. See for yourself what our state-of-the-art solar garden lights are capable of!

Our selection of low-cost solar lights (sometimes called cheap solar lights) are a great way to get the solar lights you want for your garden or landscape without spending a fortune and breaking the bank. And, don’t let the name fool you…our low-cost solar lights may be affordable, but they are also dependable and reliable. Each of our low-cost solar garden lights is built to look great and last, while making it fast and easy for you to install them (just a couple of minutes) and require little (or no) maintenance once they are installed.

Silicon solar offers a full support staff, including a solar garden light sales specialist, product technician, installation crew and several other related field specialists who can break down the system process of installing and operating the solar garden light.

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Why Shop With Us

Silicon Solar is, and always will be, a family owned and operated solar company dedicated to providing the highest quality solar powered products which have completed our rigorous quality inspection. We also manufacture a full line of solar powered products right here in our production facility; enabling us offer faster delivery and priority technical support.

Search our online catalog for hundreds of solar lights, solar fountains and many other products, including solar cells and solar panels. We also manufacture custom solar kits upon request for professors and educational programs.